A Nervous Habit
by The Scarlet Rose
Summary: Shuichi makes a promise that he can't keep. Will Yuki step in and save the day, even if it might mean bringing back an old habit?


Disclaimer: The only one I own is Kisa, the slightly sadistic child.

Warning: Eventually OOC Yuki (you all should be used to that by now...)

"Oh Yuki, why not?"

Yuki sighed, rubbing his brow.

"Because you brat, I don't have time for such trivial things." He replied, starting to walk away

"But--." Shuichi said, swallowing back tears "I promised her."

Shuichi had recently visited a fan of his who was sick in the hospital, with some potentially fatal diease. The girl had touched him so much that in between his tears he'd promised to make her a thousand paper cranes and send them to her bedside to help her get better.

Problem was, he didn't know how to make paper cranes.

Yuki sighed, lighting a cigarette and leaning against the doorway to the kitchen.

"Why don't you just **buy** a thousand--."

"Because!" Shuichi interrupted "I promisd her I'd **make** them!"

"But you don't know how."

Shuichi frowned. He'd never had a thing for origami. In fact, he'd only succeeded in getting a large number of paper cuts when he'd attempted. Hiro had given up teaching him after 12 failed attempts and Yuki had sepnt the entire morning trying to teach him. Their entire living room was now littered with piles of paper.

There was a beat of silence before Yuki spoke.

"Well, I tried to teach you."

"I--." Shuichi began, then stopped, his eyebrow raising "Hey, Yuki. How do you know how to make them so well?"

"That's none of your business brat." Yuki replied, turning on his heel and leaving.

"WAAAAHHHH!" Shuichi shouted "What am I going to do Hiro!"

"Not get to work obviously." Fuji commented

BAD LUCK was in the middle of a rehersal when Shuichi had had one of his famous wailing breakdowns, and further productive activity was haulted.

"Now, now." Hiro said, attempting to calm in hysterical friend "It'll be okay."

"IT WON'T!" Shuichi shouted "I **PROMISED** HER. SHE MIGHT DIE AND I'M BREAKING A PROMISE TO HER!"

Hiro was taken back. He had never known Shuichi to be so caring of others. Normally, there was so alterior motive behind it. But now, he just seemed generally concerned for this girl.

_'Maybe I should pay a visit to this girl...'_

"So, you're this Kisa that I've been hearing so much about?"

The little girl nodded up at him from her hospital bed. Hiro smiled brightly, sitting down in the chair next to her. She was small, only six years old, with long jet black hair and the bluest eyes Hiro had ever seen. Besides the fact that her skin was pale, she looked almost completely healthy. But Hiro knew that looks could be decieving.

"Yep!" She said brightly, a smile lighting up her face "And I know who you are! You're Hiroshi Nakano! You're Shu-chan's bestfriend!"

"Shu-chan huh? He said that about me?" Hiro asked

She nodded.

"He's been coming and visiting me for a while... I wrote him a letter... and I didn't think he'd come... but he did! I was so happy!"

"Really?"

She nodded again, her hair falling about her shoulders

"He said that I'm his best fan... and that he hopes that I get better." She cocked her head for a minuet, before scooting closer to him, looking around and geustering for him to scoot closer to her. When he did, she whispered "Can I tell you a secret?"

He nodded.

"Shu-chan said that he'll send me a thousand paper cranes!" She whispered in his ear "And he's going to make them himself and everything! He said they'll help me feel better! And I just know they will! I bet when they get here, I'll be able to leave the hospital and go home! Maybe even back to school!"

Hiro felt tears welling in his eyes. He swallowed, before leaning back.

"You think so?" He asked

She nodded.

"I know so! Shu-chan's my friend! He wouldn't lie to me..." After a beat, she looked worried, and then, cocking her head again, she asked "Would he?"

Hiro thought for a moment, and then a smile graced his lips.

"Of course not." He said, grinning "Of course he wouldn't."

"What do you want?"

Hiro winced as Yuki's cold words hit him. He failed to understand what Shuichi saw in him. The writer glared on him with eyes that could make ice melt. A cigarette with a long ash hung from his lips, and he held a can of beer in one hand.

"I want your help." Hiro replied

Yuki cocked his head at him, then sighed.

"This isn't about the crane thing... is it?"

Hiro nodded.

"Yes, I--."

"No." Yuki said "No, and there's nothing you can do that can make me change my mind."

An Hour Later

"God, I hate kids." Yuki said, stamping his cigarette out outside the stationary store

After Hiro took him to visit Kisa, and Kisa gave him her big blue eyes, Yuki started to crack. But it was after she told him just how pretty she was, and how impressed she was with his car when she saw him from the hospital window he cracked, and Hiro thought he saw the blonde shed a tear.

"Oh admit it, you thought she was cute." Hiro taunted

"Did not."

"You wanted to hug her." Hiro said, singsong

"No way."

"And snuggle her, and spoiler her with presents and smother her in kisses."

"What? Am I her sugar daddy now?"

Silence.

"That sounded a lot less inappropiate in my head." Yuki said

Silence.

"Change of topic." Hiro said, walking into the store and heading for the paper

"So we're clear... Shuichi is to never know of this." Yuki said, as he paid for the large amout of paper

Hiro nodded.

"Of course." He agreed "It'll be our little secret, I'll say... that I made them."

"Good."

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A.N. The original title of this story was going to be A Thousand Paper Cranes, but as the story goes on, you'll see why it's called A Nervous Habit. clamps hand over mouth Was that, dare I say it, a spoiler?


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